Business Directories

Oil, gas, petchem ‘top industry in Mena’

Dubai, December 3, 2012

The oil, gas and petrochemicals industry is a regional leader in terms of satisfaction, employee experience, and the perception of professionals employed in other industries, a report said.

The main reason for employees to change industry is due to better salaries elsewhere, added the “Top Industries in the Mena” survey conducted by Bayt.com, the Middle East’s number one job site, and YouGov, a research and consulting organisation.

When asked about their satisfaction with the industry they are currently employed in, respondents across the region were predominantly satisfied. In terms of job security and stability, 35 per cent claim to be happy, and 28 per cent claim to be neutral. Thirty-seven per cent are also satisfied with maintaining a work-life balance.

Those who are most satisfied are currently employed in the oil, gas and petrochemical industry, which was ranked top for salary packages, and job security and stability. The hospitality industry also ranked high, coming first in work/life balance, and career growth opportunities.

“Oil, gas and petrochemicals is traditionally a strong industry in our region, given the rich natural resources available here. With this in mind, it is not surprising that this industry ranks so highly amongst the professionals who work in it,” said Suhail Masri, VP of Sales at Bayt.com.

“At Bayt.com, we have been helping the top employers in the oil, gas and petrochemicals industry recruit top talent at all career levels for over a decade now and are well-versed in meeting the very specific human resource requirements in this industry.

“With our HR research we focus on gathering information that is relevant and useful to all aspects of recruitment in the Mena region. Our annual Top Industries in the Mena Report gives invaluable insight into employee behavior and industry perceptions, delivering vital statistics that make a difference to employers, employees and recruiters alike,” Masri added.

Levels of satisfaction play a major role in employees deciding to change industry. Of those who participated in the survey, a quarter changed from one industry to another in the last 24 months. In descending order, the top reasons for doing so are better salaries, better growth opportunities, and a lack of recognition in their previous industry.

Respondents claim that the oil, gas and petrochemicals industry is clearly the most desirable in their country of residence. The industry came out top in salary packages (48 per cent), work-life balance (28 per cent), career growth opportunities (34 per cent) and job security and stability (34 per cent). Banking and Finance came in second in the first three categories.

When unemployed experienced professionals were asked about the industry that they were seeking employment in, construction came first with 9 per cent of respondents currently looking for a job in this industry. IT and banking/finance came next as a joint second, with 6 per cent each.

Three industries tied for third place with 5 per cent of respondents seeking employment in them: oil, gas, and petrochemicals, manufacturing, and tourism/hospitality.

In the Gulf countries, the top industries that unemployed experienced professionals are seeking employment in are: banking/finance at 12 per cent, construction at 8 per cent, and IT at 6 per cent.

In North African countries, these industries are: construction at 9 per cent, tourism/hospitality at 7 per cent, and IT at 6 per cent. Meanwhile, in the Levant professionals are most attracted to jobs in construction (9 per cent), healthcare/medical services (7 per cent) and oil, gas and petrochemicals, as well as management consulting (tied at 6 per cent).

In terms of best salary packages (including non-monetary benefits), almost half of the survey takers agreed that oil, gas, and petrochemicals is best (48 per cent). Banking/finance followed at 24 per cent and the airline industry came third at 23 per cent.

The government is most seen as a favourable employer in the Gulf countries, with 67 per cent of respondents seeing it as an "extremely favourable" or "slightly favourable” option, and is least favorable in the Levant, at 53 per cent.

“Government is considered to be the most favourable employer, especially in GCC countries,” said Sundip Chahal, CEO, YouGov. “In Lebanon, however, only 39 per cent consider a public sector career to be favourable.”

The perception is that the majority of local talent across the Mena region is attracted to the oil, gas and petrochemicals industry (25 per cent), followed by banking and finance (18 per cent) and telecommunications (15 per cent).

In the Gulf, local talent seems to be most attracted to working in oil, gas, and petrochemicals (34 per cent), government/civil services (24 per cent), and banking/finance (22 per cent).

Professionals in the Levant appear to be most attracted to the banking/finance industry (26 per cent) with IT coming in second place at 20 per cent and telecommunications in third place at 16 per cent.

In North Africa, oil, gas and petrochemicals came in first (22 per cent), followed by media at 17 per cent and telecom at third (16 per cent).

Women, meanwhile, are seen by the HR survey to be drawn mostly towards careers in education and academia (26 per cent), media (24 per cent), and healthcare and medical services (23 per cent). – TradeArabia News Service